Title: New Jersey Bishop, Denomination Leaders Address Welfare Reform ELCA NEWS SERVICE
July 20, 2006
New Jersey Bishop, Denomination Leaders Address Welfare Reform 06-109-AL*
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ELCA) -- The Rev. E. Roy Riley Jr., bishop of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Hamilton Square, testified July 19 before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee about the outcomes of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) or Welfare Reform Act of 1996.
"The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 marked a fundamental shift in the way our government addresses anti-poverty spending and seeks to help the millions of Americans living in poverty," Riley said. "Our concern (in the ELCA) was then and is now for welfare reform that truly operates to strengthen American family life and creates meaningful work opportunities, moving people from poverty to sustainable livelihood."
During his testimony, Riley presented to the committee a July 19 letter expressing concerns about the legacy of the act, signed by the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA; the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church; the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); the Rev. John H. Thomas, general minister and president, United Church of Christ; and the Rev. Beverly Shamana, bishop and president of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. "Welfare may have ended as we know it, but poverty in our nation has not," said the letter. "The trends of increasing poverty persist, despite the hopes of those who believed that PRWORA would mark a new era of poverty reduction in the United States. We are deeply concerned that this poverty continues to deepen among the poorest in our nation while the prosperity of those in the highest income levels continues to grow."
Riley emphasized the plight of the working poor in his testimony. "It's the working poor that we are feeding in our soup kitchens -- people, many of whom are working two jobs to try to make ends meet," he said. "Many families have one or both parents working two jobs, because of the minimal hourly wage they earn, most often without health insurance. That's not good for the family. It's not good for children who need time with their parents."
Other panelists speaking to the committee included Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House; Senator Rick Santorum, R- Pa.; former Wisconsin Governor Tommy G. Thompson; Ronald Haskins, co-director of the Center on Children and Families, Brookings Institution; June O'Neill, former director of the Congressional Budget Office; Sharon Parrott, director for the welfare reform and income support division of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; and Robert Rector, senior research fellow, welfare and family issues, Heritage Foundation.
Noting that 20 percent of children in the United States live in poverty, Riley concluded his testimony by saying, "We can end poverty. We can do this together -- government and faith communities together. But we must stay focused on the bottom line -- those children. The gap between the rich and poor grows wider every year. We must not hide from what is true." -- -- --
Bishop Riley's testimony is at
http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy/issues/economiclife/06-07-19- testimony.html and the letter by the five denomination leaders on welfare reform is at http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy/issues/economiclife/06-07-19- letter.html on the Web.
More information about the ELCA's advocacy ministries is at http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy on the ELCA Web site.
* Annie Lynsen is director for grassroots advocacy and communication, ELCA Washington Office.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog